Carrots

Give your dinner a health kick with these flavoursome tips

Best to buy
Look for firm, bright carrots without cracks on the sides or sprouts where the green tops have been removed.

Cut & clean
If desired, peel just before cooking—or, to retain more juices and nutrients, try scrubbing instead. To preserve their natural sugars and sweet flavour, cook carrots in as little liquid as possible.

Power food
Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A.

Quick & easy recipe: vegetable roast
Cut carrots diagonally and combine with diced turnips, potatoes, and onions. Toss with olive oil and rosemary, and bake at 400°F (200°C/gas mark 6) until tender.

Preparation, uses, and tips

Scrub carrots just before cooking, and peel if desired. To preserve their natural sugars and sweet flavour, cook carrots in as little liquid as possible. Steaming and baking both help seal in the flavour. For a vegetable roast, cut carrots on the diagonal, combine with diced turnips, potatoes, and onions, toss with olive oil and rosemary, and bake at 400°F (200°C/gas mark 6) until tender.

Buying and storing tips

Fresh carrots can be found in the fruits and vegetables section of health food stores and supermarkets. Carrots with the greens still attached have the sweetest flavour; make sure the greens are crisp and fresh looking. Look for firm, bright carrots, without cracks on the sides or sprouts where the green tops have been removed. Remove the greens about two inches (5.08cm) above the carrots and store, tightly sealed, for three to five days.

Varieties and forms

Besides the long, cylindrical, orange variety, carrots also come in stubby oval shapes, tender baby (bunched), and in white and yellow varieties that are harder to find but worth the search.

Nutrition Highlights

Carrots (raw), 1 medium
Calories: 26
Protein: 0.63g
Carbohydrate: 6.18g
Total Fat: 0.116g
Fiber: 1.83g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin A (17,158 IU)

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines.

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The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires August 2007.